Browsing by Author "Arkins, Thomas P."

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    911 Calls for Emergency Medical Services in Heart Failure: A Descriptive Qualitative Study
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2022-09) Jung, Miyeon; Hays, Laura M.; Pang, Peter S.; Newhouse, Robin P.; Arkins, Thomas P.; O'Donnell, Daniel; Cook, Ryan; Gradus-Pizlo, Irmina; McAdams, Ellen; Pressler, Susan J.; School of Nursing
    Background Heart failure (HF) is a common condition leading to activation of emergency medical services (EMS). Objective The aim of this study was to describe reasons given by persons with HF, family members, or other caregivers for requesting EMS activation during 911 calls. Methods In this descriptive qualitative study, a content analysis was performed on transcribed audio files of 383 EMS requests involving 383 persons with HF in the community. Results One hundred forty-seven calls (38.4%) were placed by the family members, 75 (19.6%) were placed by the patients, 56 (14.6%) were placed by healthcare workers or personnel from living facilities, and the remaining calls (n = 105, 27.4%) were placed by others (eg, friends, neighbors, officers). Three broad categories of symptoms, signs, and events were identified as the reasons for an EMS request. Frequently reported symptoms were breathing problems (55.4%), chest pain (18.3%), and other pain (eg, head, extremities) (16.7%). Signs included decreased consciousness (15.4%), swelling (5.7%), and bleeding (5.0%). The reported events involved falls (8.1%), heart attack (6.3%), hypoxic episodes (6.0%), stroke (5.2%), and post–hospital-discharge complications (4.7%). In most calls (74.9%), multiple reasons were reported and a combination of symptoms, signs, and events were identified. Heart failure diagnosis was mentioned in fewer than 10% of the calls. Conclusions Overall, symptoms and signs of HF exacerbation were common reasons to activate 911 calls. Falls were frequently reported. Under the duress of the emergent situations surrounding the 911 call, callers rarely mentioned the existence of HF. Interventions are needed to guide patients with HF and their family members to promote the management of HF to reduce EMS activation as well as to activate EMS quickly for acute changes in HF conditions.
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    Mobile integrated health to reduce post-discharge acute care visits: A pilot study
    (Elsevier, 2018) Siddle, Jennica; Pang, Peter S.; Weaver, Christopher; Weinstein, Elizabeth; O'Donnell, Daniel; Arkins, Thomas P.; Miramonti, Charles; Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) leverages specially trained paramedics outside of emergency response to bridge gaps in local health care delivery. Study objective To evaluate the efficacy of a MIH led transitional care strategy to reduce acute care utilization. Methods This was a retrospective cohort analysis of a quality improvement pilot of patient patients from an urban, single county EMS, MIH transitional care initiative. We utilized a paramedic/social worker (or social care coordinator) dyad to provide in home assessments, medication review, care coordination, and improve access to care. The primary outcome compared acute care utilization (ED visits, observation stays, inpatient visits) 90 days before MIH intervention to 90 days after. Results Of the 203 patients seen by MIH teams, inpatient utilization decreased significantly from 140 hospitalizations pre-MIH to 26 post-MIH (83% reduction, p = 0.00). ED and observation stays, however, increased numerically, but neither was significant. (ED 18 to 19 stays, p = 0.98; observation stays 95 to 106, p = 0.30) Primary care visits increased 15% (p = 0.11). Conclusion In this pilot before/after study, MIH significantly reduces acute care hospitalizations.
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    Predictors of emergency medical services use by adults with heart failure; 2009-2017
    (Elsevier, 2020-09) Pressler, Susan J.; Jung, Miyeon; Lee, Christopher S.; Arkins, Thomas P.; O'Donnell, Daniel; Cook, Ryan; Bakoyannis, Giorgos; Newhouse, Robin; Gradus-Pizlo, Irmina; Pang, Peter S.; Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) necessitates frequent transport by emergency medical services (EMS), but few studies have been conducted to evaluate predictors of EMS use and of multiple EMS transports that are amenable to intervention. OBJECTIVES: To characterize prehospital clinical status of community-dwelling adults with reported HF who used EMS across 8 years and to evaluate predictors of EMS use and multiple EMS transports. METHODS: Data were from a database in a large Midwestern county. Descriptive statistics, logistic and negative binomial regression were used for analysis. RESULTS: EMS transports were evaluated for 6582 adults with 16,905 transports. The most common chief complaints were respiratory problems, feeling sick, and chest pain. Shortness of breath, chest pain, level of consciousness, age, gender, race, and hospital site predicted multiple transports. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians need to educate patients with HF about ways to manage shortness of breath and chest pain and when to activate EMS.